Symphony of Illumination
This article's lead section may be too short to adequately summarize the key points. (December 2015) |
"Symphony of Illumination" | |
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How I Met Your Mother episode | |
Episode no. | Season 7 Episode 12 |
Directed by | Pamela Fryman |
Written by | Joe Kelly |
Production code | 7ALH12 |
Original air date | December 5, 2011 |
Guest appearances | |
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"Symphony of Illumination" is the 12th episode of the
It is the second most critically acclaimed episode of the 7th season (behind "Tick Tick Tick"), and has been well reviewed by critics, especially for its ending.
Plot
This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (December 2015) |
Instead of
, meaning that if she is pregnant, Barney is the father. Although Barney is giddy at the prospect of becoming a father, Robin is still firmly against having children of her own. Barney comes to share her reservations when he sees how the life of an old friend, "Insane Duane", has changed since marrying and having children. Both Robin and Barney are relieved when the doctor informs them that Robin is not pregnant.For a day Robin celebrates not being pregnant, until she receives additional news from the doctor: she is
She returns to the apartment to discover an intricate Christmas light display, animated and accompanied by vigorous
Meanwhile, Marshall wants to have better Christmas decorations than neighborhood rival Richard Holdman.[2] He plans an entire display, which he names the "Symphony of Illumination" for the Long Island house, complete with Mannheim Steamroller Christmas music. When he begins the installation, he gratefully accepts an offer of assistance from a neighborhood teenager, Scott. However, Scott leaves him stranded on the roof, steals Marshall's phone and uses it to his advantage when texting Lily, and throws a party in Marshall's house. Though Marshall briefly relents, recalling his own antics when he was young, he is outraged when he sees Scott abusing a giant stocking that his late grandmother had knitted for Marshall's future child. He remains stranded on the roof until Lily arrives, unwittingly paying Scott 50 dollars for his help, and then sees the damage Scott has caused inside the house during the party.
Reception
Critical reception
The episode received very positive reviews, with viewers praising the Robin-centred plot.
Donna Bowman of The A.V. Club graded the episode an A, observing that "If this episode is any indication—in what (HIMYM) can accomplish, because of what we’ve come to feel about the characters and because of the confidence with which it is moving forward in its overarching story—HIMYM has never been healthier."[3]
Chris O'Hara of TV Fanatic gave this episode a 4.8 out of 5, praising Cobie Smulders' performance.[4]
Eric Goldman of IGN gave the episode 8 out of 10 saying "I do think the show needs to finally stop playing so coy with so many carrot-dangling ideas – this episode didn't do anything to kill the possibility that Barney is marrying Robin at that wedding, after all. And HIMYM has done even better "dramatic" episodes, such as Marshall's storyline about his father dying last year. But as the show goes into its later years, and has become far more uneven, I did appreciate that I still cared about Robin and what she was going through here – and the sweetness of Ted being there to comfort her as a good friend at the end."[5]
Ratings
This episode attracted 11.51 million American viewers, making it the fourth most viewed episode of the entire series.[6] In Canada the episode was viewed by 1.028 million viewers, placing sixth for the night.
References
- ^ "Shows A-Z - How I Met Your Mother on CBS". Retrieved November 13, 2011.
- ^ Holdman is a real person, a resident of Utah, who has an extensive Christmas-light project
- ^ Donna Bowman (December 5, 2011). "How I Met Your Mother: "Symphony Of Illumination"". The A.V. Club. The Onion. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ^ Chris O'Hara (December 5, 2011). "How I Met Your Mother Review: Bittersweet Symphony". TV Fanatic. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ^ Eric Goldman (December 6, 2011). "How I Met Your Mother: "Symphony of Illumination" Review". IGN. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
- ^ Bill Gorman (December 6, 2011). "Monday Final Ratings: 'Two And A Half Men' Adjusted Up". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved June 19, 2014.
External links
- "Symphony of Illumination" at IMDb